The Potion of Miracles
by seraphina80
Summary: HermioneLucius fanfic! Hermione discovers the secret for a rare and mysterious potion, and Lucius wants it...Set a year after the final battle, Harry, Ron and Hermione are now working for the Minsistry of Magic. SPOILERS be warned! comment if u like it :
1. An Unwelcome Sight

Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a story! Hope u like it… 

Let me know how I'm doing please, it will help me lots 

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters; they are all JK Rowlings!

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**Chapter 1- An Unwelcome Sight**

Hermione Granger sat at in her office; the mass of paper that littered the desk was now finding it's way onto the floor.

She glanced at the clock, three o'clock; only two and a half hours left; she let out a long sigh of exhaustion, which made her feel guilty .She buried her head once again in the document before her.

"_**Case number 1070**__- _

"_**Willow**__"- master deceased during battle._

**Suggested relocation plan** – number 3- " Rehabilitation center for Homeless House elves."

_**Abilities include**__: - washing, sewing, occasional cooking, lumberjacking._

She tutted in disapproval, imaging some poor house elf chopping up wood for it's masters fire in the freezing cold winter air.

Almost a year had past since Lord Voldemort's demise, yet things in the Wizarding world were far from back to normal.

In fact, this had been the Ministry's most complicated and busiest year. Now that Kingsley Shackelbolt was in charge there were buildings to be remade, officials to be chosen, new staff to be employed, and muggles' memories to be modified; picking up the pieces of a war was no easy task.

Now an official graduate and somewhat of a celebrity at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione was head of the " House-Elf relocation and care Department."

She had taken it upon herself to find homes for all the house elves that had lost masters during Voldemorts' reign, and to fight for the rights of those who were still subjected to slavery.

As she sat, her face furrowed into a slight frown, a pale violet colored paper airplane whisked into the room and settled itself in front of her.

Feeling annoyed at the interruption, she took the note and opened it:

" _pssst!! Meet me on level two in an hour! " _

She rolled her eyes, it wasn't signed but she knew it was Ron, he was probably visiting Harry in the Auror Headquarters.

She glanced at the clock again, half three, she would be leaving an hour early, but then again, she _had_ started at six in the morning.

Scribbling a reply on the enchanted note, she quickly folded it back up, accidentally crumpling a wing, and sent it flying in a wonky fashion out the door.

The hour slipped by almost unnoticed; when she glanced up she was already ten minutes late.

Cursing she grabbed her coat, and swiftly headed out the door, only to return again a few moments later and remember to lock it.

She headed for the lift, it was in use as always, she stood fumbling in her briefcase for a while, trying to find the birthday card she had made Ron, when suddenly the lift doors swung open, hastily she bundled in.

Without looking she pressed the button in front of her and continued to rummage through her bag.

Eventually she found it. She wasn't a particularity good at drawing, but she was excellent at calligraphy, she had written:

" Happy 17th Birthday Ron!" In sweeping gold letters that had dark red patterns twirling round them to represent the Gryffindor colors.

Inside she had written him a little poem, she blushed thinking of how silly he might say it was.

The lift came to a stop, with a soft _ping _the elevator doors opened.

Instantly, she realized she was in the wrong place. The walls were dark and ominous, strange hissing and scraping sounds were floating through the dingy corridors.

She glances down at the button to see that she was on floor nine, The Department of Mysteries!

Frantically she tried pushing level 2, but the button was stuck! She groaned quietly to herself, if she was caught here she would be in so much trouble!

She jabbed at the button to shut the doors again, but nothing happened.

Voices suddenly drifted down the corridors, but they were too quiet for Hermione to make out.

Panicking, she decided to write a note and send it down the lift-shaft to Ron hoping it would reach him before she was found out.

Something heavy in her pocket bashed against her side as she bent down to take a Inter-departmental memo out her briefcase, with a small surprise she realized it was an extendable ear, she tutted despite herself, Ron was always slipping them into her coat.

"You never know when you might need one!" he had told her on countless occasions.

This time was an exception; this time Ron was actually right!

She inserted the extendable ear into her own and strained to listen, worried that it might be a Ministry Official.

A soft drawling tone was speaking from behind a nearby open door.

" And you're quite sure that this will work?" it said.

"Oh indeed," came a nervous sounding reply, this voice was much younger.

" Good, see to it that you don't fail, you're success will mean big business."

Hermione recognized the voice; it was like there was a bad taste in her mouth as she tried to place its owner.

It was a distinctly unkind sort of voice, masked with eloquence; she instantly disliked it.

" O-of course Mr. Malfoy, anything you wish." Came the reply.

An icy shock plunged into Hermione's stomach.

Mr. Malfoy?! _Lucius Malfoy_ here?!

She quickly stuffed the extendable ear and the card back into her bag, footsteps were echoing of the wall now; they were coming towards the lift.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat, her heart hammered, she prayed that it wasn't really him, and she prayed he wouldn't get in.

Suddenly with another soft _Ping_ the lift doors began to slowly close.

Lucius Malfoy's figure appeared in the dull light of the hallway, he turned his head lazily toward the half open lift and locked eyes with Hermione.

She felt a jolt tug at her heart; she gripped her suitcase hard.

The doors were shut now, and the lift was moving down towards the second floor.

Her mind instantly burned with questions. How did he get in? Was he working here again? Surely Kingsley wouldn't have anyone that despicable working for his Ministry?

Why was he in The Department of Mysteries? And what was he talking about to that assistant?

The questions came thick and fast, making her head spin.

The doors opened, Hermione stepped out, and drifted towards Harry's office, not even taking notice of her surroundings.

She walked straight into someone. Staggering slightly she mumbled her apologies, her mind still blazing.

Ron's voice cut into her thoughts and made her look up into his freckled face.

"Hey Hermione, what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."


	2. Unpleasant Encounters

**Chapter 2- Unpleasant Encounters**

"Nothing" Hermione replied quickly.

Ron eyed her doubtfully.

She grabbed the card from her bag and pushed it at him before he had time to argue.

"Happy Birthday" she said forcing a smile across her face.

Ron took the card still watching her, then after a few moments of silence, decided not to pursue the matter any further.

He eyed the card approvingly admiring her writing, and opened it up to read her poem.

His ears turned red, " Thanks Hermione." He mumbled gruffly, leaning in and kissing her hot cheeks clumsily.

"It's not very good, I only had time to do it today." She replied, slightly embarrassed, but glad he was no longer asking her questions.

"No, it's great." He insisted.

There was another pause before they both spoke at the same time.

"How was work?" they asked simultaneously.

Ron's face lit up " Oh it was great! We have invented a new type of Fizzing Whizzbee! With ten times more fizz!"

Hermione frowned slightly, giving him a you-should-grow-up kind of look.

" Ron…I thought you were going to work with Harry as an Auror?"

Ron groaned, " Not this again Hermione! I do help Harry as much as I can! But with George…you know…running the shop all by himself, I thought he could do with my help too…" he trailed off, his eyes became distant.

Hermione felt a sharp pang of guilt and sadness.

"Oh Ron, I didn't mean…" she muttered.

"It's ok." He said clearly not wanting to discuss anything further.

"Sorry." She said in a small voice, she curled her fingers round his and put her head on his chest.

For a moment they stood together quietly until Harry appeared from the corridor.

" Alright Hermione?" he smiled clearly oblivious to the current atmosphere.

" Fine thanks." She replied in another attempt at cheeriness.

" So, who fancies a trip to The Leaky Cauldron?" Harry grinned rubbing his hands together.

Ron caught the look on his face and began to smile too, " Yeah nothing like a butterbeer to relax you after a hard day's work."

"You sound like your dad!" Harry joked.

Ron's face dropped, Harry began to laugh hard.

" You'll be smoking a pipe in your slippers and reading the Daily Prophet soon!"

Ron scowled.

"There's nothing wrong in reading up on current affairs." Hermione said haughtily.

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry, who was still grinning.

" All right, let's get to the pub before I dehydrate." Ron insisted.

Hermione opened her mouth, evidently to point out that alcohol could never actually quench your thirst, but Ron was wise to her arguments now .

" Right let's get in the lift." He said loudly before she could speak.

Hermione sulked.

As they made their way down the hall, Ron and Harry began chatting animatedly about quidditch, and Hermione sunk off into her thoughts again.

Why hadn't she just told them? They always used to share everything together.

A fresh wave of sleepiness swept over her as they entered the warm lift.

This was her tenth day in a row at work, she was tired and irritable, she knew Ron spent a lot of time thinking about his brother still even though he didn't show it, and Harry was working just as hard as her to train new Aurors.

She decided not to put any more pressure on either of them at the moment, and keep quiet about what she had seen; if Malfoy was inside the Ministry, there was no way he could get in without Kingsley knowing.

There must be a logical explanation for it.

The elevator reached the atrium, the boys stepped out, but Hermione hung back, her head was in her bag again.

" What's up?" Ron asked.

"I forgot my purse! It's on my desk!" she moaned.

Ron sighed " alright, fine, go get it, we'll stand around here like lemons and wait for you."

Hermione was going to argue but the doors were already closing.

" I won't be long!" She said.

Ron was shaking his carrot-topped head in disbelief, and then he was gone.

She sighed deeply, and leant against the wall, she eased her feet out of her shoes and took off her jacket, undoing a few shirt buttons, it was hot in the Department even in winter.

She fanned herself gently with a file folder, and took the metal clip out of her hair that had been pressing against her head all day.

Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulders; it was no longer frizzy, but smooth and soft, she liked to keep it looking under control at work, bushy hair that stuck out everywhere was hardly professional looking.

The lift stopped, she glanced at the buttons; floor number nine was glowing again!

She realized she hadn't even pressed any buttons when she got in!

" Going down?" Came the unmistakable drawl of Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione jumped, she hadn't even noticed him standing there!

" Uh…yes." She replied; feeling slightly bewildered.

He stepped in, Hermione felt a lump in her throat stick; he was looking a lot stronger than the year before when he was released from Azkaban.

She noticed instantly that he was back to his usual, self- satisfied smugness.

He stood beside her and look directly at her, she felt her heart leap into her throat, she swallowed.

" Well, are you going to start the lift, or is it a comprehension entirely above your intellectual capacity Miss Granger?" he sneered.

She reached for the buttons response and pressed one, not really focusing on what she was doing, her hand was trembling, he remembered her!

She was panicking now, her heart was racing, she thought about the battles she had fought against him, he must be livid after spending so much time in prison thanks to her and her friends…

Now she was alone with him and no one could see them, he could kill her right now! She gripped her wand tightly in her pocket hoping he wasn't feeling murderous.

" My, my, is your job really so difficult?" he drawled, still looking at her.

" What do you mean?" she asked, feeling her face burn under his scrutiny.

" You're ever so tense, could it be that wasting your days on setting those filthy little creatures out into the wild is taking its toll on you?"

A pang of hatred stabbed her in the stomach; she knew he was talking about the house elves.

She turned to face him, " those beings have just as much right to a civilized life as you or I Malfoy!" she said, surprising herself with how angry she was.

"Just because you have no respect for life doesn't mean the rest of us don't. You'll never change, and personally I think it's pathetic" her body was shaking now, but only out of hatred.

" My, my, such passion from someone so young." He replied casually.

Suddenly the lift ground to a halt.

Hermione felt alarm swelling in her chest, she was trapped in here with him, and she had just insulted him! She cursed herself for being so headstrong.

He moved in on her suddenly, she froze, terrified.

" You should reserve those judgments for when you get a little older, girl, you are far to naive to understand how the world works."

He stood a few inches from her face, looking down on her from behind a sneer, his steely gray eyes betrayed no emotion.

Hermione felt something in her quail, she backed against the wall, and gripped the hand rail.

She bit a retort and felt her whole body stiffen in apprehension, she pressed her fingers to her wand till it hurt.

He reached out his hand, she flinched, he pinched her chin gently and brought her face up to his.

" Are you afraid?" he asked, clearly amused by her discomfort.

"Never." She replied, but her voice was hoarse.

" I had a lot of thinking to do whilst inside that hellish pit." He spoke in a dangerously soft tone; she knew he meant Azkaban.

"Oh?' she said, feeling her heart thump and her body tremble.

Suddenly she felt his hand stroking across her jaw line, she was surprised and disturbed by the softness he was touching her with.

"Did you truly believe that place would reform me? Or indeed, even the death of my Lord?" he was less than an inch form her body now; his fingers were tracing themselves along her exposed collarbone.

She was repulsed by his cruel nature, but a strange sensation was waking in her at the feel of his touch, she squirmed, feeling uncomfortable.

"There will always be others to take up the Dark Lord's mantle." He hissed.

His hand slid up the back of her neck and he grasped a handful of her hair.

She gasped, now terrified.

Hermione watched his eyes lazily survey her body, resting for a moment on her breasts that were almost visible through her unbuttoned shirt, she felt humiliated.

Suddenly the lift jolted into movement again.

He smiled like a satisfied cat and moved away from her, just as the lift door opened on the eighth floor.

" Good day." He said silkily, before stepping out the lift and walking away.

Hermione was trembling, brushing back tears from her eyes, she gathered up her suitcase and jacket from the floor, and went to find Harry and Ron in the Atrium, her purse lay on her desk on the fourth floor; completely forgotten.

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_So what do you think so far? would really like you to let me know... _

_Will do more if you like it :p _


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